New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1887-08-10
since wasted twenty FIVE shillings

since I wasted twenty Ave shillings
once in answering advertisements
| about one. =
THAT may have peen very. differ
ment matter from this returned
Barbara, stiff1y. II had better not
detain you any longer, Mr.. Grant.
And that is the man Mrs. Stewart
thinks worth half dozen like Alfred
Lawrence!' said Barbara to herself.
as she walked into Messrs. bod & Sons
Office. 1T seems to be decided viz.
tue in some peoples eye to have course
| hands and shabby coats. s
Her face was several shades longer
when she came out again. Messrs.
bod & Son had not received her with
by any means the respectful enthus-
iasm she expected. There had been
awkward questions about proofs and
genealogies that she had not been pre-
pared to answer; indeed. she had half
fancied they took her for an impostor,
they had been so reluctant to part with
any information. She should hear
from them in a few days. and in the
me antime she must kindly fill in the
answers to certain questions on pa
per they had given her.
s'And thought should almost have
had it in my pocket by this time,'' she
said to herself, ruefully. Swell, I
must have patience for another week.
or so. It is sure to be settled then; on
ly-only I'd have liked to have some
thing certain to tell Mr.. Lawrence
Mr.: Lawrence sympathized with her
over the delay almost as deeply as she
did with herself when she told him the
result of her visit the next day. Bar
bara was quite struck with the way he
seemed to enter into all her feelings.
Sand they did not even give you an
idea how much it was likely to be?" he
asked.
''Not exactly admitted Barbara;
but they were so cautious could tell
by their manner that it must be a good
deal.'
Il don't know if that is altogether a
criterion. These old lawyers are very
deceptive sometimes" he reioined.
However, you can get that paper fill
ed up and sent in; and would not lose
any time about it, if I were you,'' he
added.
John Grant was the next person to
whom she had to explain her non sue
cess.
Just what I expected, Miss Bar
bara," he said, cheerfully. 'sOne is
never sure of a chance of that kind till
one has actually got it. I would not
build upon it in any way, if / were in
your place 5..
You don't seem to have had a for
tunate experience in that way re-
torted Barbara, ungratefully. sit is
only deferred in this case, and I am in
no hurry for few days.
days y echoed John. s.There's a
man in our office has waited years,
and is likely to wait, as far as can
see.''
Mrs. Stewart was an other painful
thorn IN the path Of this juncture.
Barbara, my ear" she remarked
one day after school was dismissed,
''were you paying any attention what
ever to the practice this afternoon ?''
Barbara flushed scarlet, II was be-
side the piano the whole time,'' she
declared.
"Your body may have been there,
but your mind certainly was not. Now,
my dear, you must really endeavor to
put this unfortunate legacy out of
your head for the present you have
been fit for very little since it was first
mentioned. So far it has proved de-
cidedly the reverse of any advantage
to you,
Ten days later came the much-look-
editor communication from Messrs.
bod & Son. ''They were in receipt of
Miss Reeds paper, and could assure
her the matter should have their best
attention, and were hers most ob;dient-
ly," etc.
Barbara flung it into her desk with
a disappointed face. It was tedious to
be obliged to wait in suspense like this
She would hardly know how to get
through the time but for Mr. Law
renc's attention and warm interest in
the upshot. John Grants's indiffer-
ence, not to say scepticism, on the sub
ject threw up his rivals superior
qualities in full relief, and yet there
were times when Barbarafelt just little
puzzled that Mr.. Lawrence went no
farther. With all his solicitude, and
looks that said more than words he
never absolutely committed himself to
anything more binding than friend
ship.
Il can't ask him, - she said one day,
under her breath, as she walked slowly
home after one of these accidental
meetings. but, oh, do wish he
would say straight out what he means,
or else keep away altogether. 1t makes
one feel so unsettled. =
Poor Barbara was to feel more UNI
settled still before she reached home.
It was a lovely summer evening, and
fifty yards farther on she was. joined
by another cavalier John Grant this
time. She shrank back at first, half
afraid of some testing inquiry after
Messrs. bod & Son, but she speedily
discovered that he seemed to have for
gotten their very existence. There
was something else in his mind, and he
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